Nepal and Saudi Arabia have reached a major agreement to send Nepali workers to the Gulf country. This decision was made during a meeting between Nepal’s Labour Minister Sharat Singh Bhandari and Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tariq Al Hamad. The meeting took place on the sidelines of an international event earlier this week.
The agreement focuses on sending general and skilled workers to Saudi Arabia. It also includes a new programme to certify workers’ skills before they leave Nepal. This is expected to help workers find better jobs and improve safety and wages.
Nepal had already approved the draft of the general labour agreement. However, final signing was delayed because Saudi Arabia wanted to link it with a separate deal for domestic workers. That condition has now been dropped. Both countries have now agreed to move forward with the general labour pact first. They will discuss the domestic worker agreement later.
The agreement is important because Saudi Arabia is one of the top destinations for Nepali migrant workers. More than 300,000 Nepalis are currently working in the country. Many are in construction, cleaning, or hospitality jobs. The money they send home helps many families and also supports the country’s economy.
Nepal received more than 8 billion US dollars in remittances in the last financial year. A large portion of that came from Gulf nations, including Saudi Arabia. With the new agreement, the number of Nepalis working abroad could grow, bringing more income into the country.
Skill certification is a key part of this new deal. It will help Nepali workers prove their qualifications. This may lead to higher salaries and better working conditions. It also allows Saudi employers to hire skilled people who match their needs. Nepal’s goal is to reduce the number of low-skilled workers going abroad and instead focus on skilled and semi-skilled labour.
Although the general labour agreement is ready, Nepal and Saudi Arabia are still working on the domestic worker deal. Domestic jobs include work as housemaids, nannies, and cleaners. These jobs often lack legal protection in many countries. Nepal wants to make sure that any new deal will protect the rights of these workers. That includes fair pay, health insurance, proper living conditions, and safety rules.
To help with this, Nepal has proposed a pilot project. This project would test the working conditions of domestic workers before the full agreement is signed. It will help both governments understand the risks and find better ways to protect the workers.
Nepal’s Parliament also plays a role in labour policy. A recent committee order asked the government to complete the general labour agreement before signing a deal on domestic workers. This move supports a step-by-step approach to building better agreements.
Nepal has signed similar deals with countries like Israel, Japan, and South Korea in recent years. These deals include important protections for migrant workers. They also make the recruitment process more fair and transparent. Experts say the same kind of deal with Saudi Arabia can bring positive change.
The agreement is expected to be signed soon. After that, recruitment agencies and government offices in Nepal will begin the process of sending certified workers to Saudi Arabia. This will offer more safe and legal job options to many Nepalis.
The new deal shows that Nepal is serious about improving worker rights and safety. It also shows that Saudi Arabia is willing to work with Nepal to make migration safer and more organized.
The agreement is a good sign for Nepal’s foreign employment plans. It brings hope to many people who want to work abroad and support their families. The coming weeks will show how quickly the plan moves from paper to action.
